The Chosen One

📖 SYNOPSIS

All college freshman Gao Ying wanted was to get to university, but he takes a wrong turn and checks into the Great Qing Hotel in Nanting Village — a place that really doesn't want guests leaving. Within his first night, he's dealing with supernatural disturbances, cursed history, and somehow manages to awaken Yinting, a Qing Dynasty prince who's been sealed away for centuries. Now he's stuck in the middle of a conflict involving ancient shamanic powers and a mysterious force called the Tai Sui, which has apparently been brewing for over a hundred years. Cool. Great start to college life.

This 16-episode ONA from 2:10 Animation pulls from Chinese folklore in a way that feels genuinely creepy but also knows when to let the tension breathe with dark humor. The horror-comedy balance works surprisingly well — one moment it's unsettling ghost-hotel atmosphere, the next Gao Ying is reacting to the absurdity of his situation like any normal person would. The traditional Chinese aesthetic gives it a look that stands apart from most donghua out there right now.

If you liked the supernatural worldbuilding and buddy dynamic in Mo Dao Zu Shi, or the way Hitori no Shita: The Outcast digs into Chinese occult traditions, this hits a similar nerve but leans harder into the horror and mystery side. Based on a web manga, so there's source material to fall back on if it hooks you. Worth the time if you're into folklore-driven supernatural stories with some actual tension behind them.